STAND. COM. REP. NO. 971

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 757

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 757, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase government transparency.

Specifically, this measure requires each agency to maintain a website that contains a list of the agency's open contested cases that are not confidential by law.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Labor Relations Board, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Your Committee finds that requiring each agency to post a list of all active contested cases online will provide notice to the public of the agency's ongoing proceedings and increase transparency and accountability in the contested case process.

Should this measure be enacted into law, your Committee notes that the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations may require additional staff and operating funds to implement the requirements of the measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 757, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 757, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair